Does your child have:
- A hoarse, croaky or raspy voice (like Darth Vader in Star Wars)
- Recurring temporary loss of voice (after a sports event, end of the day)
- Tense neck muscles
- Pitch breaks when going from a low to high pitch
- Difficulty sustaining a note when singing
Common causes of voice problems in children:
- Upper respiratory tract infections such as laryngitis which leads to inflammation and swelling of the vocal cords.
- Laryngo pharyngeal reflux
- Voice misuse such as:
- Tensing neck muscles and putting stress on the vocal cords.
- Straining the voice: screaming, shouting, loud crying, talking loudly with too much effort.
- Activities that may cause vocal strain include:
- Loud and long emotional outbursts or tantrums.
- Glottal attack (when vocal folds slam quickly and forcefully).
- Persistent throat clearing
Voice misuse can lead to Vocal Nodules
